الملخص الإنجليزي
Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions stand as a significant environmental concern,
contributing to greenhouse gas effects and climate change, primarily global warming.
One of the primary sources of these emissions is attributed to the “hard-to-abate”
sectors – cement, steel, chemicals, and transport. Decarbonization of these industries
took center stage in discussions at the COP28 Climate Summit in Dubai, heightening
the need for accelerated development and implementation of CCS technologies and
utilization. In alignment with this goal, the Sultanate of Oman navigates the delicate
equilibrium between economic development and environmental responsibility by
assessing the possibilities of renewable energy and green hydrogen production. This
study explores the economic potential of value-added products (methanol and SNG)
from captured carbon dioxide (CO2) and green hydrogen (H2). The carbon dioxide
feedstock is extracted from the flue gas of a clinker unit through the utilization of an
amine-based CO2 absorption system, while hydrogen is obtained by water electrolysis
employing hybrid (wind and solar) renewable electricity. The levelized cost of
captured CO2 and green hydrogen was assessed at 38.6 $/tCO2 and 4.23 $/kgH2. A
detailed economic analysis, based on capital and operating costs derived from a
commercial-scale methanol production study, assuming a 25-year lifetime, has been
performed to calculate the Levelized Cost of Methanol (873 $/t methanol) and SNG
(2240 $/t SNG).
The study verifies that presently, the technology exhibits potential economic
competitiveness, with a Levelized Cost of Methanol (LCOM) exceeding twice the
existing methanol price in the Omani market (375 $/t), while the Levelized Cost of
SNG shows a similar pattern. Nevertheless, the findings suggest that the process is
projected to achieve competitiveness in the medium term, driven by evolving global
policies. The research also highlights that LCOM and LCOSNG are mainly influenced
by factors such as electricity prices, labor costs, and natural gas prices.
